


the christmas dump

by lgbtmagik



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Holidays, Marvel Universe, just some fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-23 00:27:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17070044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lgbtmagik/pseuds/lgbtmagik
Summary: what started as the 12 days of christmas turned into "I wrote these Christmas stories but not enough to do 12 days so here we are."





	1. skating

“I promise I’ve never ice skated before. Not that I remember.”

 

Peggy squinted her eyes at Carol, unimpressed with the small smirk on her face. She  _ loved _ to make little jokes about not remembering her childhood.

 

“Okay… I want us to try something new. Seems like you’ve done so much already.”

 

The two finished tying up their skates, doing last minute checks before they made it onto the ice. Peggy wouldn’t lie, she was nervous. She wasn’t good at regular roller skating, so how would ice skating be any different?

 

“Come on, we’ll walk out together,” Carol said, holding Peggy’s hand in her’s. They were both wearing gloves, but it still warmed Peggy’s heart all the same.

 

Once on the ice, Peggy felt like a cat over water. She had kicked ass in high heels, saved the planet once or twice… but couldn’t handle ice skating. She shuffled her feet but that only sent her an inch or two forward. Hell wasn’t fire, it was an ice rink that Peggy couldn’t skate in.

 

Meanwhile, Carol was already on her first lap. She looked like a graceful ballerina that was meant to spend her life on the ice.

 

“Can’t skate, my ass! You look beautiful!” Peggy shot her arms in the air to make her point. Carol laughed as she skated back to the place she left Peggy.

 

“I will take that as a compliment. Maybe I’m a natural…” Carol winked before she zoomed off. Peggy’s jaw dropped. She DID know how to skate. The bugger.

 

It took longer than Peggy cared to admit to get to the center of the rink. This seemed like a safe spot. She could stand here and freeze.

 

“You’re something else, Peg.” Carol came up and took Peggy’s hand in hers once more. She began to skate backwards, tugging Peggy along.

 

“What if I fall?” Peggy didn’t want to end up laid on the ice. She was already cold enough.

 

“I’ll catch you. You already fell for me once, right,” Carol said with a wink. Peggy rolled her eyes at the response, but there was a smile on her face as well.

 

The two went in slow circles around the rink. There were a few moments where Peggy fell forward into Carol’s arms (one time was definitely not NOT on purpose). Carol would just hold Peggy closer, stop her skating, and kiss her softly.

 

Maybe Peggy didn’t hate skating after all.


	2. i'm sorry

All day, Carol’s nerves felt fried. She could tell something was going to happen. What, she wasn’t sure. Everyone had been acting strange around her from the moment she stepped in her parents’ house.

 

The first hint was that Maria’s family was all here. Of course, their families had been together for holidays before, but this… this one felt off. They were all excited and buzzing.

 

Next, when Carol approached her own mom, she burst into tears and wrapped her in a strong hug. She spoke but Carol couldn’t make it out. Her mom was hysterical. It would have been one thing that Carol truly didn’t think of, but her mother didn’t cry for much. What could possibly move her like this?

 

“Carol, you look out of it.”

 

The statement pulled Carol out of her analytical state. She didn’t realize how hard she was focusing on the situation.

 

“Oh, sorry. Just got a lot on my mind today.” Carol smiled at Maria’s brother before stalking off to the living room. She didn’t want to explain it any further.

 

Festivities continued as they always do. The families would eat a hardy lunch and then sing christmas carols together. Carol even took the “Christmas Carol” joke in good humor. Though through the haze of yule delight, there was an underlying static. Carol couldn’t quite place where it came from.

 

Amongst watching Die Hard, Carol’s phone pinged. She leaned a little forward while looking at it.

 

It… it was a message from Peggy.

 

“Merry Christmas, Carol. Call me if you get the chance. Xx”

 

Carol could feel the blood leave her face. She hadn’t spoken to Peggy in a year or two… not after how they ended everything. Peggy didn’t want to talk to her, and Carol couldn’t blame her.

 

“I’ll be right back,” Carol uttered before leaving for the porch. She almost tripped on Maria’s feet in order to get out. It unsettled the families and their sitting situation. Though it was all naught.

 

As soon as she was outside, Carol dialed Peggy’s number. She felt her thumb hover over the call button. This may be a path she can’t go back down… but she had to call.

 

The phone was right at Carol’s ear as Peggy picked up. She must have been waiting.

 

“Hey,” Carol whispered, still in disbelief.

“Hey. Merry Christmas, Carol.” It had been so long since she heard her voice. Memories flooded in as they sat in silence.

 

“Are, are you back home this Christmas?” Carol stood at the edge of the covered porch. She felt tempted to step in the snow to cool her body down. Though she would hate to turn up the snow that had settled in blankets over the grass.

 

“No, I’m in the states. Staying with Steve and Tony for Christmas. I’m calling for a good reason, I promise.” She sounded… hopeful. It was an inviting feeling, but part of it scared her.

 

“Okay. I believe you,” Carol said.

 

“As I’m going over this in my head, I realize how crazy I sound. I just, I think we need to try again. I don’t know what’s going on in your life, and I don’t even know what’s going on in mine. It just feels empty, and I never felt that way with you. You were my answer and I realize that now. I was dumb to walk away, Carol.” Peggy spoke a mile a minute, but processing it took what felt like years.

 

“Peg, I’m in a relationship. I, I want to so bad. More than you know. I need time to think, if that’s okay,” Carol said. She couldn’t drop it all. That wasn’t fair to Maria.

 

“I understand. It was a crazy thought anyway,” Peggy said, a pained laugh tacked at the end. Carol felt a pang in her heart. Guilt warmed her cold body as well.

 

There was some noise in the background and Peggy told her goodbyes. Carol stared at the phone before shoving it in her pocket. Her hands went in as well, trying to preserve warmth. It was fleeting along with her energy.

 

“Carol, you comin in? We’re starting to open presents.” Carol’s dad held the door open for her so she could come in. She gave a silent thanks thanked him when she walked past him.

 

The movie had been paused, and the lights were all on. Everyone had picked up their blankets and drinks. It was so formal, and she wasn’t expecting that. Carol expected comfort and warmth. That’s all she wanted.

 

Carol sat herself right beside Maria, but moments later she was alone. Maria was giving out presents to everyone. It was nothing more than a fleeting worry after a few seconds.

 

As Carol opened her gifts, she mulled over what Peggy said. She sounded genuine, and that was what swayed her so hard. And what she said about there being an emptiness… Carol felt the same way. She kept trying to find it with Maria, but these last few weeks had been off. Maybe this was the sign that Carol needed to go. Maybe not back to Peggy, but she needed to find what she longed for.

 

Everyone shared in the joy of their new gifts. Carol made sure to thank everyone for her gifts, and tell them all how much she loved them.

“I think there’s one more gift under the tree. Can you check for me?” Maria had moved but Carol hadn't noticed. She looked under the tree and crawled to grab a card tucked away. She read the front of the card as she came back out.

 

“WILL YOU MARRY ME?”

 

Maria was down on one knee right in front of Carol. They were eye level, almost staring at each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see every single person recording this moment.

 

There was a swell in Carol’s heart, but it didn’t reach past that. She wanted this moment. God, she wanted the proposal, the wedding, the happy wife and happy life that she dreamed of. Just… not with Maria. She wasn’t the person she wanted on the other side. This was all wrong.

 

“Will you marry me, Carol?”

 

Oh god, this was worse. The words actually coming out of her mouth. They were like claws digging into her. This was too much.

 

“M-maria, are you sure you wanna do this? With me?” Carol hadn’t realize she scooted back until Maria put the ring down to hold her hands. Her eyes were so full of love.

 

“Carol, you’re the person I want to grow old with. You’re the one I want to do everything with. You’re my best friend, and the love of my life. You’re everything to me, Carol,” Maria spoke with such passion. Her message came across loud and clear to Carol.

 

“I-I can’t do this. I’m so sorry Maria… I can’t do this to you. I, I need to go.”

 

Carol was quick to remove her hands from Maria’s and stood. She avoided the horrified looks of everyone around her. Her first instincts were to grab her boots and run.

 

That’s exactly what she did. Carol picked up her boots and ran out of the house. She sat in her car, car peeling out of the driveway. Her brain was going so fast that she didn’t realize what she did til she was down the block.

 

She parked the car in the driveway of an abandoned house. The car was set in park, allowing Carol to rest her head on the steering wheel. It was futile to go back, or even try to stop her thoughts. All she could do was freeze in her car and regret what she had done.

  
  



	3. cold

If there was one thing Peggy enjoyed about being with someone, it was waking up in a warm bed. She could burrow in the covers and soak it all in. Plus, being wrapped in Carol’s arms was particularly nice.

 

This morning did not start like that. No one was beside Peggy, and it was freezing. She couldn’t warm up.

 

Peggy sat up, looking out the window. She couldn’t see much out as it was completely iced over. Ah. The first hard freeze of December. She should have expected as much, with how the weather was yesterday. Though that still didn’t explain where the hell Carol was.

 

Peggy bundled herself in a sweater and fuzzy socks as soon as she was out of bed. She hoped to find Carol somewhere in the house. She saw the kitchen light on but no sign of her. Her coat and flip flops were missing from the front…

 

“If she went outside in flip flops of all shoes…” Peggy muttered to herself while going for the front door.

 

Carol was, in fact, outside. She wore only her pajamas, a coat, and some sandals. Snow fell all around her, a large grin on her face as she played in it. Peggy took a mental picture just to remember this moment. Though it was short-lived when she could see Carol’s toes turning near-purple.

 

“Come inside before you freeze to death,” Peggy exclaimed from the door. Carol finally looked up from the snow all around her. She quickly ran through the piles of snow to get to Peggy.

 

“It’s just so beautiful out there. Come out here with me.” Their hands met, and Peggy tried not to gasp from how cold they were.

 

“I’ll come out soon. Let’s at least get some proper clothes on, okay?” She’d be willing to go in the snow if Carol would put on the appropriate attire. She couldn’t have her getting sick during their Christmas break.

 

“Okay, fair enough.”

 

The two don their warmest winter clothes before the hour is up. Peggy snuck a picture of Carol before they went out. She just looked too sweet in her penguin ear muffs.

 

It was so nice to play in the snow, just finding excuses to hold each other and play around. Peggy wanted this moment to last forever. Her, Carol, the snow…

 

It was perfect.


End file.
